This Week's Top Parenting Links

It’s Valentine’s Day Weekend! I used to dread this weekend, mostly because I resent the fact that the flowers are 3 times as expensive, the candy is expensive and the dinner out is….. you guessed it! Expensive! I also never appreciated that Valentine’s Day was always marketed towards couples. What if you don’t have a significant other? Can you celebrate the weekend?! I had a proud mom moment in the car when my son announced we needed to plan a Valentine’s Day party—because it’s the day that celebrates everyone that we love, and who loves us. Whew! He has been listening!

Here’s to a weekend celebrating the special people you love, and who love you in return!

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Skip the expensive gifts and take the time to create something that will actually last longer than the Butterfinger heart you can pick up at the grocery store.

“It’s great to talk about the big things but the little things can often be more meaningful. The small details are what make up our everyday life. Maybe you love the way his mouth curls up higher on one end when he smiles or the way she giggles when she’s nervous.“

See more from 5minutesformom.com

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Do you ever feel like you are failing as a Mom? I have so many days where I feel like I’m just not enough for my kiddos, and they are tired of me. Amber, over at mommysmetime, address this very issue.

“He’s been the main breadwinner for our family since day one, and we agreed from the beginning that his schedule would need to take priority, especially if I wanted to stay home. In my heart, I’m okay with that. I always wanted to be at home and raise our children and create a home where everyone felt loved and cared for.

But if I’m honest? I don’t feel like I’m doing it the way I hoped I would.”

Follow her journey over at mommysmetime

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Here are 14 ideas to keep to keep in mind when prepping your family for Valentine’s Day! Practical, inexpensive and fun to do with all ages.from Aha Parenting:

“Because Valentines Day is all about love, it gives you the perfect opportunity to create more love in your family, not only between parent and child, but between siblings. We all need to be cherished. But despite our good intentions, too often we forget to tell the people we love just how precious they are to us. Valentine’s Day reminds us to tell all of our loved ones (not only our sweethearts) how glad we are that they’re in our lives.”

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I have a struggling reader in my home. He’s still young, and I know he will get the hang of it. But, my husband and I know what he’s missing out on, and so we are eager to aid him in his ability to conquer this feat! This article was so encouraging to me and gave some really practical ways to encourage him.

“Trust me on this: you can’t help your child too much, so don’t worry about making this too easy on him. You want this to be easy on him. The most important thing is that you don’t ruin the story by trying to turn it into a lesson. Let your child love the story. Let the story love him back. The reading skill will come.”

For homeschooling encouragement, head over too Sarah Mackenzie’s site, amongstlovelythings.

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Lastly, however and whoever you decide to celebrate Valentine’s Day with, feel beautiful doing it. I’ll be following this tutorial from Katie, or at thesmallthingsblog.